After teaching the proportions of the human face, students practice drawing themselves. Then students transform those drawings into expressionistic wire sculptures. I love the way these look with the cast shadows. This is a nice project that introduces working three dimensionally with just line.

I did this small oil painting (about 16x12 I think :P) of Alicia, my fiance's cousin's cute little girl, over my 2008 winter break. I experimented with the canvas by painting on an antique looking floral fabric that I thought suited her sweetness. I loved playing with color and tried not to over think anything. My goal is to start doing more experimental studies like this.

For fun, I used this for a family Santa Swap and remarkably her parents went first and picked this gift. No stealing needed!

Contemporary American painter Chuck Close is one of my favorite artists. He created amazing massive portraits using a grid in unconventional ways. I saw his work at the Albright Knox in Buffalo, NY (Fall of 2006). The Show was a "Survey of Self-Portraits" and was amazing to experience with my family. If you have never seen his work, you better go Google some now! What's even more remarkable is that he was suddenly paralyzed half way through his career and he continued to work.

I was inspired by his art to create a lesson for my 8th graders. He made these very fun portraits using his fingerprints rather than a brush. I presented his work and taught them how to use the grid to blow up their photograph. Painting with fingerprints is not easy. Since we used only black acrylic, you have to rely on pressure for lights and darks. Flaws are a natural part of this process and learning how to accept them and work with them is one reason I like this project.

I loved creating my class example, my Self-Portrait. I loved it so much, that I created another for Pale as a goofy gift (above). My first portrait of Pale! What's wrong with me! He's great and I'll have to pay tribute to him again, maybe in oil paint next time. :P

Welcome to my art website where I will post old and new art slowly but surely. I'm an artist that explores many mediums, so look forward to a little bit of everything. Oil painting is my favorite but I don't always have the time because I'm also an art educator. I will devote part of my site to art education as well because it is so important in my life, yet challenging at times. Thank you Pale! I'm excited to get started!

This computer-generated Self-Portrait was done quite a while ago, 2002 I believe. I still love it and I have fond memories of pressing my face to a scanner. When I teach my first computer art class, this will be one of my first projects. It's a fun way to learn Photoshop filters!